Picturing the flowers

I've been pretty excited about the weather this week.  Not the weather that was in the forecast, but the actual weather.  The forecast has been nothing but confusing, predicting rain and thunderstorms almost every day this week - starting with what was supposed to be a rainy gloomy Easter Sunday but was beautiful instead.  What we ended up with (for the most part) was a very nice week.  I never knew what to wear or if I should take my umbrella or my sunglasses, but I'll carry both any day for the chance of sun!  

It's also been fun to watch the skyline change outside my window every morning.  Each day the park became a little bit greener than it was the day before.  The tree right outside my window is looking quite nice and the park has turned gorgeous.  Yesterday on my lunch break at work I grabbed a sandwich and sat in the small park across from my office.  I snapped a few shots of flowers and of a bird that had an interest in my sandwich.  I love the spring and taking pictures of flowers.  It's so easy to be a 'good photographer' when everything around me is so beautiful!  

Happy Easter!!!

A spring in my step

It seems like spring is ever so slowly, finally starting to show itself in New York. It's been a long time coming, that's for sure.  We had two days that were really nice this week and a couple of days that were more gloomy and rainy.  I guess rain is to be expected in April, so I should keep positive and hope that April showers really do bring May flowers!!!

I have been trying to coax spring into showing up a little more.  Maybe it is nervous about coming out after winter was so strong.  Who knows.  I thought buying some spring shoes might help.  Right?  Besides, I had a coupon from the fabulous DSW that was about to expire so I had to use it!  It's a bit of a gimmic, yes, because I had to spend money in order to save money, but the coupon was only sent to me because I had spent a certain amount of money in the past.  I really couldn't let that go to waste.

As much as I love summer sandals, I don't feel quite like buying them yet.  We are just passing that awkward stage of shoe shopping where I have no interest in more boots or winter shoes but I'm not ready for flip flops. I searched around DSW for a long time and nothing was really striking my fancy.  Eventually, I just started trying on things for fun when I found a perfect pair of spring shoes!  Cute, colorful, light and 'springy'.  Yay!  So I was able to use my coupon and walk out of there with some happy feet.  I love new shoes!

Winter woes

Is spring ever going to get here?  It's cold!  Am I stuck in some kind of never-ending winter?  It's been February since February.  I've had enough.

Every penny counts...

Roles, Casa

Lately, for the first time in my life really, I've been thinking about casseroles.  I never had a problem with them, but they weren't really something that I would think of.  They were always at church dinners and occasionally we would have one at home, but not often, so they just didn't cross my mind.  But recently the casserole has snuck into my brain.  I'm sure it goes along with the whole pop culture looking back to the 50's, retro, vintage thing. Is Mad Men the chicken or the egg, I'm not sure, but it's all quite fun.  Some food blogs I read are also talking about casseroles and The Kitchn's Faith Durand just released a book called Not Your Mother's Casseroles.  Not that I have ANY problem with my mothers cooking, but I thought it sounded fun so I checked it out from the library.  There were some interesting recipes, but one problem... I didn't have a casserole dish.  I know it can be done, but who really wants to make a casserole in a boring old aluminum rectangle pan?  Isn't that brightly colored ceramic dish half the fun of baking a casserole?  Well, it would be to me.

I went on with my life without thinking too much about the casserole thing but then one day last week, there I was, killing time in the TJ Maxx and off the shelf and into my hands jumped the best looking casserole dish I'd seen in ages.  Red with white polka dots?  Hello!  Of course you are coming home with me!  I'm even using birthday money and calling this one a gift!  I am in a new decade now, and that means its okay to want cookware for my birthday, right?

Tonight is my debut night with the casserole.  I am making a dish that features rotini, chicken sausages with sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, spinach with sauteed garlic, diced tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese.  I hope it is delicious! I made a great mess putting it together and got a little nervous as my dish reached its capacity and I kept adding more of the mixture. I'm sure it is WAY too much food, but I love my leftovers at the office! Only 5 more minutes in the oven and a few minutes of rest and I'll be able to dig in!

Full and ready for the oven!

Nail time

Dawning of a Decade

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

...and Dad, and Ben, and Dave, and Adam, and Vanna White, and John Travolta, and even Yoko Ono.  What a day!

The 14th

This day is dumb.
I liked it when I was a kid and Dad brought home chocolates in a heart shaped box for his GIRLS!  Where's Dad?

Frisson

Shivers!

Whoa Nelly, it got cold!  I don't know what happened because the last few days have been in the upper 30's, which felt like it was in the 60s after our previous cold spell.  Even this morning it was 39 degrees, but something happened while I was at work and it is COLD again - 19 degrees to be exact.  There is a far cry between 39 and 19.  Sitting in my room and listening to the wind howl down the street doesn't help things either.  When it even sounds cold...it's cold.

On a warmer note, I am playing with the New Amsterdam Symphony in concert this Friday!  We are playing the Brahms Requiem, which is a piece I have loved for years.  It is one of those that I got a hold of in undergrad and wore it out for a while. Nerdy factoid: Brahms' Requiem was first presented to the world on February 18 - my birthday!  A few years before I was born (112), but still...
What I love about this piece is the gorgeous choral writing and harmonies.  The clarinet part itself is kind of boring and exhausting to play (a lot of LONG notes a.k.a. good exercise), but I just play along and listen to all the beautiful sounds that surround me.  I've always loved Brahms...

Title-less Blog Post about Music and Opera

I am having a very 'musical' weekend.  I love when I get to have these, because in general I spend too much time at a desk and not enough time being musical.  Yesterday was a very nice day.   I did some teaching, followed up by a yummy vegetarian lunch, then did some roaming around in The Strand bookstore, some coffee, and lots of practicing.  That's a pretty nice way to spend a day...in my opinion.

This morning I got the day rolling with a book and a cup of coffee.  On the dock for today is an audition this afternoon and tonight I am going to see an opera at the Met!  I am meeting friends to see Nixon in China.  I'm very excited to see this opera because I love the music of John Adams and he will be conducting the original Peter Sellers production.  I went to a panel discussion earlier this week that included Mr. Adams and Sellers, among others from the cast and creative team, and learned  a lot about the creation and development of the opera.  I think the more you know about a work of art, the more you enjoy seeing it.  I also think there is a certain energy and excitement that comes with 'new' music where the people who actually came up with all the ideas are right there creating it again in front of my eyes.  Good stuff!